The present invention relates to a system for forming external electrodes on end portions of chip components such as chip capacitors or chip resistors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,184 discloses an exemplary method of forming electrodes on end portions of chip components.
First, a holding plate and a guide plate which is superposed thereon are set in a charger, so that chip components are inserted in holes provided in the guide plate by vibration or vacuum suction. Bottom surfaces of the holes provided in the guide plate are covered with the holding plate. Then, the holding plate and the guide plate are integrally taken out from the charger, and the chip components inserted in the holes of the guide plate are pushed into receiving holes of the holding plate by a punch mechanism. The holding plate has a number of such receiving holes for resiliently holding the chip components. The holding plate, thus holding the chip components upwardly projecting on its upper surface, is placed on a conveyor and passed under an electrode material coating station, so that the projecting portions of the components are coated with electrode material. The holding plate is then carried by the conveyor to a heating station, so that the electrode material is dried therein. Thereafter the holding plate is carried to the punch mechanism again, so that the components are pushed down from the upper side to a lower side of the holding plate. Then the holding plate is inverted and again placed on the conveyor to be carried to the coating station and the heating station, so that the chip components are again coated with the electrode material and dried. The components thus provided with electrodes on both end portions are again set in the punch mechanism, and discharged into holes of an unloading plate from the holding plate.
In the aforementioned electrode forming method, various types of plates must be set in and detached from the punch mechanism in various combinations in the respective operations for charging, pushing and discharging the chip components.